Maps and Drawings

 I've said many times and people who know me have heard it: my inspiration for studying family history and Mennonite history was strongly influenced by a particular map I saw when I was quite young.  I remember specifically studying this map that my Grandpa Ratzlaff had framed and sitting on his dresser.

This was a black and white illustrated map of a little village called “Leeleva”.  It depicted a handful of little cottages apparently located in a forest somewhere.  There were a few other small villages drawn in here and there, along with some roads, rivers, and railways, and even a saw-mill and a flour mill.  In a fairly prominent spot on the map was a cemetery and right next to the cemetery was a little cottage marked “Andrew Ratslaff”.  I remember being particularly intrigued by this map and as a child, in my mind, I could almost close my eyes and put myself into this village.  And of course, Leeleva Village became a lot more important to me when Grandpa told me that this Andrew Ratslaff was his father – so this was the village of our ancestors.  It was even further captivating to me – and mysterious - that this village was located somewhere in Russia – I was a kid growing up during the Cold War in the 1980s so the thought of a village somewhere in Russia – the mystery and intrigue of it all was overwhelming!

Over the years, of course, I've learned that the map comes from Jake Unruh's "From Village Life to Kansas Plains", a nine-page memoir about Mennonite village life in Volhynia in the very early 19th century.  I've also learned about all the elements on the map - what they are in real life and where they're located.  I now even have friends in nearby villages who have interpreted the map and have opinions regarding where great grandfather Andrew Ratzlaff's house stood.

But beyond that, the map has been inspirational to me and I've used it as a template to create more maps to illustrate the history of this Mennonite group - the Groningen Old Flemish centered at Przechowko, Poland. (hint: right click on the images, open in new tab, then zoom)

Przechówko Village Layout II

 

Amazing aerial photographs can be found here: https://pzgik.geoportal.gov.pl/imap

Using photos from this site we can see how the Przechowko area looked in the 1961. From the photos, we can clearly see where the houses were, where the fields were, etc.

Using the same photo, we can mark several items: village road and village boundaries in yellow.  Przechowko village houses in orange.  The cemetery is circled in red, the site of the church circled in green.

And here we can mark the village fields, and the lowland meadow, separated by the village road (red) and the strip of houses which were immediately south of the road.

Zooming in on the village center, we can see the cemetery (circled red) and church site (circled green). The quality of the photo is such that we can almost see gravestones in the cemetery.  There are two buildings on the church site.  In the mid-19th century, the local Lutherans wanted to rebuild the Mennonite church into the village school.  In 1857 there was a fire and it's unclear what became of the Mennonite church building.  Today, there are a couple remnants of concrete or cinder block foundation at the site. 

Elsewhere at this website we can see photos of Jeziorki from 1964:

Schonsee, 1961: (the Frisian church is marked)

Brenkenhofswalde, 1963

Franzthal, 1963

Sady, 1961, Mennonite church and cemetery area marked

How to use the site:

1) Get rid of the mapy.geoportal.gov.pl window

2) Click on Photogrammetric vertical aerial photographs/Order photos

3) Create account

4) Select “I will mark photos on map”

5) Zoom the map in to the appropriate location

6) Select year (a green-dot grid will appear if photos are available. Most of the Przechowko/Schonsee/Montau area is covered by 1961.  Jeziorki is covered in 1964. Scroll down and click ‘next’.

7) Select a method by which to mark the area, and then mark it.

8) Select the number of the photo or view the thumbnail (miniature)

9) Large scale rendering can then be purchased.

Mennonite Structures at Zabytek.pl

 https://zabytek.pl/pl/mapa is a treasure trove of information about old village houses across Poland.  Specifically for Mennonite history interests, the site includes plenty of information for villages in the Vistula River delta and valley.  Wonderful photos of Hollander and Mennonite houses can be found representing villages from Gdansk and Elblag in the north, all the way south to Torun.  Further, the Netzebruch villages and the Masovian villages are also represented.

In decades past, Polish researchers traveled across the countryside, presumably visiting each city, town, and village, documenting the oldest structures.  In many cases, photos were taken, sketches were made, and historical summaries were written, for each structure.  Again, for Mennonite history interests, files for the wonderful old Werder houses can be found, as well as housebarns, and in many cases, cemeteries are also listed.

For my own interests, housebarns are documented in Vistula River valley villages, including many associated with the Przechowko congregation and its daughter communities.  For instance:

Przechowko https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/dom-(chalupa)-nr-141-(16-875964 

Deutsch Konopat https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/dom-(chalupa)-nr-26-876818

Jeziorki https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/dom-(chalupa)-nr-28-784946

Schönsee https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/dom-(chalupa)-nr-6-872932

Jamerau https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/dom-(chalupa)-nr-14-784164

Brenkenhofswalde https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/blotnica-kosciol-ewang-ob-rzym-kat-fil-pw-sw-michala-ar

Franzthal https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/cmentarz-ewangelicki-prz-683112

Deutsche Wymysle https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/dom-mieszkalno-inwentars-781931

These are all structures built before the mid-19^th century and all likely Mennonite- or Hollander-built.

The Niedźwiedź house, now restored and standing at the Hollander museum outside Torun, can be seen here in situ https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/dom-(chalupa)-nr-4-875536.  Note the strong similarity between this house and the Przechowko house above.

Looking at these structures can give us a better understanding of how our ancestors lived and help us envision how their farms looked.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to put these houses side by side and see how they compare?  We can actually do that since these Zabytek files include floor plans and dimensions for each house.

 

17 February 1765 Privlegium Granting Mennonites Settlement in the Netzebruch

 

The Prilegium granting the 1765 Mennonite group settlement in the Netzebruch can be found in many different places.  The particular version below is translated from Die Siedlungsentwicklung im Oberen- und Unteren Netzebruch.  (Ein Beitrag zur Siedlungs- und Volkskunde mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Siedlungshandhabe sowie der Art und Herkunft der Siedler.), W. S. 1935/36, Rudolf Mantua, Pp 55-59.

Overview Map of the Upper and Lower Netzebruch:

Die Siedlungsentwicklung, p101

Privilege and Assurance for the 28 Mennonite families who are settling in the Neumark in the Netzebruch.

 

Accordingly, some Mennonite families, eight and twenty in number, who currently live near Dantzig under the jurisdiction of von Wipschinsky, have most humbly requested that they be allowed to establish themselves in these lands under the conditions made, and that Our His Royal Majesty in Prussia, Our Most Gracious Lord, has graciously agreed and granted, on the basis of the presentation made by the Privy Financial War and Domain Councillor von Brenckenhoff, that they can and may settle and establish themselves in the Neumark in the district of the reclaimed Netzebruch to be assigned to them:

As the most highly mentioned, His Royal Majesty grants. His Majesty hereby grants the above-mentioned Mennonists the Most High Assurance that:

1.

The free practice of their religion and worship is permitted and,

2.

They shall remain free from all enrollment and advertising for themselves and their descendants, just as also

3.

They shall also be allowed to practice their vocations, insofar as they are such as can be tolerated in the lowlands according to the General Principles, unhindered and without being allowed to hold a trade, but if they are not such craftsmen, they must establish themselves in the estates, but under the same conditions.  The same shall also stand

4.

With all oaths, because such are contrary to the basic tenets of their religion, they are spared, and they are instead permitted

5.

To trade freely in butter and cheese produced from their own livestock in all towns, subject to payment of the customary taxes.

6.

They shall take the necessary wine from the office, but in return no pub should be set up in the village they are cultivating

7.

For the first building of structures, the wood required shall be provided entirely free of charge, but for their subsequent constructions, the third part shall be paid according to the forest tax, over which

8,

The same are allowed to rent the wood against annual payment of the usual 9 groschen 3 pfennigs to the forest fund and

9.

They are exempted from all court services and other work in perpetuity; except that they are exempt from all duties when traveling with His Royal Majesty's highest person, if other free people, neighbors are also required to join in.

10.

For their establishment, 40 Magdeburg morgen of arable land and meadow growth shall be granted to each family in the Netzebruch, which has been made arable, against payment of a ground rent to be determined, which is to be paid after the course of a few free years and is to be paid in full.

11.

They are to be provided with all necessary assistance in the event that their current lordship should have difficulty with their departure.

If, therefore, Your Royal Majesty most graciously desires that the aforementioned Mennonists be left in peace at the establishment to be assigned to them, and that, as long as they keep their promise, they behave as loyal and upright subjects and comply with the effect of the above points and conditions without exception. Thus, the same hereby order the New Margrave of War and the Chamber of Domains to hold the impetranten (applicants) to this privilege and assurance granted to them against any man.

 

Berlin, 17 February 1765

Geg.  Friedrich

Geg v. Massow. V. Blumenthal

pages 87-89:

Decker Family visits Błotnica

 My friend Steve Decker is a Hutterite living in Australia.  His Decker ancestors likely lived on the Vistula right bank by the late 17th century where they were members at the "die kleine Schule" at Schönsee.  The 1727 Jeziorki land contract includes a Jacob Decker, and this was either Steve’s ancestor or a close relative to Steve’s ancestor.  We find this summary in volume II of the Hutterite Chronicle.

Hans Decker (42344, PRZ 419) was born about 1704, probably in the vicinity Schönsee (GRanDMA says Jeziorki but that’s impossible since Jeziorki wasn’t established until 1727).  In 1765, this Hans Decker was an original settler at Brenkenhofswalde in 1765.

In 1767 we find Hans Decker living on Lot #15 in Brenkenhofswalde where he and his family were likely the original occupants.  In 1771 we find them living in Lot #1 in Brenkenhofswalde.  In 1778 we find the Decker family back at Lot #15.  Hans died between 1778-1782 and could very well be buried in the Brenkenhofswalde cemetery.  After Hans’ death, his widow, Elisabeth Schmidt along with the three youngest children (Eva, Jacob, and Benjamin) went to Wischenka where they joined the Hutterites. [Neumark Families by John D Richert]

Steve’s ancestor is probably Benjamin.  Benjamin was baptized in Wischenka and made his living as a carpenter.

On 23 May, Steve and his family made a visit to Błotnica (Brenkenhofswalde) where my good friend Magdalena Szydełko guided them around the village of their ancestors.

What an amazing visit for the Decker Family!

Steve and his family pose at the Błotnica Village sign.

Magda Szydełko and Steve's family members comparing the 1805 Brenkenhofswalde Village map to a modern drawing of Błotnica in the Stare Kurowo city building.

Steve and his family posing at the spot on Lot 15 where their ancestor's house stood.